(
a)
the spouse of an accused shall be compellable to give evidence at the instance of
any person charged with the accused in the same proceedings only in the case of an
offence mentioned in
section 22 (1)
,

(
b)
a former spouse of an accused shall be compellable to give evidence at the instance
of any person charged with the accused in the same proceedings unless—

(i) the offence charged is alleged to have been committed at a time when the marriage
was subsisting and no decree of judicial separation or separation agreement was in
force, and

(2) Subsection (1) is without prejudice to the power of a court to order separate trials of persons
charged in the same proceedings if it appears to it to be desirable in the interests
of justice to do so.